Tommy Thompson releases first TV ad as poll shows him strong

By Cameron Joseph - 02/29/12 06:34 PM ET

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) released his first television ad of the cycle, a spot attacking President Obama, on the same day a new poll showed him dominating his primary rivals and within one point of Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) in a general-election matchup.

Thompson almost doubles up the support for his primary opponents, former Rep. Mark Neumann (R-Wis.) and Wisconsin state Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. Thompson is at 39 percent in the poll, conducted by the Democratic Public Policy Polling, while Neumann and Fitzgerald each are at 22 percent.

Top conservative and Tea Party groups including The Club for Growth, RedState.com's Erick Erickson and Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) Senate Conservatives Fund have endorsed Neumann, and many conservatives have issues with Thompson. But Neumann is also disliked by some Wisconsin conservatives because of lingering tensions from his primary against now-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who is close to Fitzgerald. The poll indicates the two are splitting the anti-Thompson vote, which could hand him a primary win.

Thompson is widely believed to be Republicans' best shot at winning the race, a perception the poll confirms.

Thompson trails Baldwin, the likely Democratic nominee, by 46 percent to 45 percent. Baldwin leads Neumann by six points and Fitzgerald by eight points. While Thompson has led Baldwin in other polls of the race, this poll is good news for him, as his primary numbers have been closer in those polls.

Thompson's ad ignores his opponents and focuses on Obama.

"America is in trouble, and I can't sit by any longer," he says in the ad. "I'll repeal Obamacare and stop Washington from busting the budget, killing jobs, and destroying our children’s future. Let's do for America what we did for Wisconsin."

The poll of 900 voters including 556 Republican primary voters was conducted from Feb. 23-26. The general-election portion has a margin of error of 3.3 percent, while the primary's margin of error is 4.2 percent.

Watch the ad here: